Restaurant listings for the BT Dining Guide are written Pamela Robin Brandt (
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). Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but please call ahead to confirm information. Icons ($$$) represent estimates for a typical meal without wine, tax, or tip. Hyphenated icons ($-$$$) indicate a significant range in prices between lunch and dinner menus, or among individual items on those menus. $= $10 and under $$= $20 $$$= $30 $$$$= $40 $$$$$= $50 and over

Adelita’s Café 2699 Biscayne Blvd. 305-576-1262 From the street (which is actually NE 26th, not Biscayne) this Honduran restaurant seems unpromising, but inside it’s bigger, better, and busier than it looks. Unlike many Latin American eateries, this one sticks close to the source and proves a crowd-pleaser. On weekends especially, the dining rooms are packed with families enjoying authentic fare like baleadas (thick corn tacos), tajadas (Honduras’s take on tostones), rich meal-in-a-bowl soups packed with seafood or meat and veggies, and more. $

B Sweet20 NE 41st St.305-918-4453At this homey neighborhood jewel, located in a former apartment building, husband/wife team Tom Worhach and Karina Gimenez serve up warm welcomes and playfully inventive breakfast, lunch, and snack fare: bacon-wrapped egg and cheese cups; pressed Philly steak panini; an elegant yuzu-dressed smoked salmon, grapefruit, avocado, and arugula salad. But the must-eats are sweets, housemade by Worhach, formerly executive pastry chef at the Mansion at Turtle Creek and similar gourmet palaces. One bite of his decadent yet impossibly light white-and-dark chocolate mousse cake will hook you for life. $-$$

Basani’s3221 NE 2nd Ave.786-925-0911Despite this tiny place’s modern décor, the family-run ambiance and Italian-American comfort food evoke the neighborhood red-sauce joints that were our favored hangouts growing up in NJ’s Sopranos territory. And low prices make it possible to hang out here frequently. Pizzas with hand-tossed crusts, not wood-oven but resembling honest bread, for less than fast food pizzeria prices? It’s an offer you don’t refuse. Don’t refuse garlic rolls, either, or sinful zeppole (fried dough) for dessert. There’s more complex fare, like chicken à la Francese, too. And they deliver. $$

Bengal 2010 Biscayne Blvd. 305-403-1976 At this Indian eatery the décor is cool and contemporary: muted gray and earth-tone walls, tasteful burgundy banquettes. And the menu touts “Modern Indian Cuisine” to match the look. Classicists, however, needn’t worry. America’s favorite familiar north Indian flavors are here, though dishes are generally more mildly spiced and presented with modern flair. All meats are certified halal, Islam’s version of kosher — which doesn’t mean that observant orthodox Jews can eat here, but Muslims can. $$$

Bin No. 18 1800 Biscayne Blvd. 786-235-7575 At this wine bar/café, the décor is a stylish mix of contemporary (high loft ceilings) and Old World (tables made from wine barrels). Cuisine is similarly geared to the area’s smart new residents: creative sandwiches and salads at lunch, tapas and larger internationally themed Spanish, Italian, or French charcuterie platters at night. Though the place is small and family-run friendly, chef Alfredo Patino offers sophisticated snacks like the figciutto: arugula, gorgonzola dolce, caramelized onions, pine nuts, fresh figs, and prosciutto. Free parking behind the building. $$

Blackbrick3451 NE 1st Ave. #103 305-573-8886Inspiration for the Chinese food at this hotspot came from authentic flavors Richard Hales (from Sakaya Kitchen) encountered during travels in China, but the chef’s considerable imagination figures in mightily. Example: Don’t expect General Tso’s chicken on the changing menu. The General’s Florida Gator, though, is a distinct possibility. Dishes less wild but still thrilling, due to strong spicing: bing (chewy Chinese flatbread) with char sui, garlic, and scallions; two fried tofu/veggie dishes (one hot, one not) savory enough to bring bean curd maligners (and confirmed carnivores) to their knees. $$-$$$

Buena Vista Bistro 4582 NE 2nd Ave 305-456-5909 If a neighborhood eatery like this one -- which serves supremely satisfying bistro food -- were within walking distance of every Miami resident, we’d be a helluva hip food town. Like true Parisian bistros, it’s open continuously, every day, with prices so low that you can drop in anytime for authentic rillettes (a rustic pâté) with a crusty baguette, steak with from-scratch frites, salmon atop ratatouille, or many changing blackboard specials. Portions are plentiful. So is free parking. $$

Buena Vista Deli 4590 NE 2nd Ave. 305-576-3945 At this casual café/bakery, co-owned by Buena Vista Bistro’s Claude Postel, the day starts in authentic French fashion, with fresh breakfast breads, chocolate almond croissants, and other delights. At lunch cornichon-garnished baguette sandwiches (containing housemade pâtés, sinfully rich pork rillettes, superb salami, and other charcuterie classics) are irresistible, and a buttery-crusted, custardy quiche plus perfectly dressed salad costs little more than a fast-food combo meal. As for Postel's homemade French sweets, if you grab the last Paris-Brest, a praline butter-cream-filled puff pastry, we may have to kill you. $-$$

The Butcher Shop Beer Garden & Grill165 NW 23rd St.305-846-9120Unbelievable but true: At the heart of this festive, budget-friendly beer-garden restaurant is an old-school gourmet butcher shop, where sausages from classic (brats, chorizo) to creative (lamb and feta) are house-made, and all beef is certified USDA prime -- rarely found at even fancy steakhouses. Take your selections home to cook, or better yet, eat them here, accompanied by intriguing Old/New World sauces, garnishes (like bleu cheese fritters), sides, and starters. Desserts include a bacon sundae. Beer? Try an organic brew, custom-crafted for the eatery. $$-$$$

Cafeina 297 NW 23rd St. 305-438-0792 This elegantly comfortable multi-room indoor/outdoor venue is described as an “art gallery/lounge,” and some do come just for cocktails like the hefty café con leche martinis. But don’t overlook chef Guily Booth’s 12-item menu of very tasty tapas. The signature item is a truly jumbo-lump crab cake with no discernable binder. At one South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Martha Stewart proclaimed it the best she’d ever had. Our own prime pick: melt-in-your-mouth ginger sea bass anticuchos, so buttery-rich we nearly passed out with pleasure. $$

Café Babbo97 NW 25th St. #103305-857-5722Somewhat secreted on a side street from Wynwood’s action-central arts and eats drag, this pizza-plus-wine/beer bar is hardly the area’s only source of beautifully burn-blistered wood oven-fired pies. But several features make it a perfect fit for the neighborhood’s working-class/arts vibe, like exuberantly eccentric retro-Italian décor -- no derivative designer pretensions. Equally suited to starving artist sensibilities: pizzas topped with more-than-usual generosity (even basic Margheritas have, for once, enough mozzarella!); pizza prices several bucks less than usual. Other superb bread-based items include truly crusty crostini, panini, more. $-$$

The Cheese Course 3451 NE 1st Ave. 786-220-6681 www.thecheesecourse.com Not so much a restaurant as an artisanal cheese shop with complimentary prepared foods, this place’s self-service café component nevertheless became an instant hit. Impeccable ingredients and inspired combinations make even the simplest salads and sandwiches unique -- like bacon and egg, elevated by hand-crafted cream cheese, roasted red peppers, avocado, and chipotle mayo. Cheese platters are exceptional, and customized for flavor preference from mild to bold, and accompanied by appropriate fruits, veggies, nuts, olives, prepared spreads, and breads. $$

City Hall the Restaurant2004 Biscayne Blvd. 305-764-3130After 30+ years spent guiding other owners’ restaurants to success, Miami Spice program creator Steve Haas has opened his own expansive, two-floor place, on a stretch of Biscayne Boulevard that’s suddenly looking fashionable. The vibe is a mix of power-dining destination and comfie neighborhood hangout, and chef Tom Azar (ex-Emeril’s) has designed a varied menu to match. Highlights: an astonishingly thin/crunchy-crusted pizza topped with duck confit, wild mushrooms, port wine syrup, and subtly truffled béchamel; crispy calamari (rings and legs) with light, lemony tomato emulsion; and tuna tartar that is refreshingly free of sesame oil. Big portions and a full bar to boot. $$-$$$$

Coyo Taco2300 NW 2nd Ave.305-573-8228If you go to this affordable Mexican street-food-themed joint expecting one of today’s many fast-casual, healthy-type Mexican taco/burrito chains, where the attraction is mainly just that fillings are fresh, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Here tortillas are handmade and fillings are either genuinely traditional (like cochinita pibil) or delightfully original -- and sometimes satisfyingly sinful, like duck confit with enough skin and fat to scandalize all the health-obsessed places. There are first-rate vegetarian fillings, too, like mushroom/huitlacoche with cotija cheese; tasty churros for dessert; and beer and margaritas. $-$$

Crumb on Parchment3930 NE 2nd Ave. 305-572-9444Though located in a difficult spot (the Melin Building’s central atrium, invisible from the street), Michelle Bernstein’s bakery/café packs ’em in, partly due to Bernstein’s mom Martha, who makes irresistible oldschool cakes: German chocolate with walnuts, lemon curd with buttercream frosting, more. Lunch fare includes inspired sandwiches like seared rare tuna with spicy Asian pickles and kimchi aioli. And for morning people, the savory chicken sausage, melted cheddar, kale, and shallot sandwich on challah will convince you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. $-$$

The Daily Creative Food Co. 2001 Biscayne Blvd. 305-573-4535 While the food formula of this contemporary café is familiar – sandwiches, salads, soups, breakfast food, and pastries, plus coffee and fruit drinks – a creative concept differentiates the place. Signature sandwiches are named after national and local newspapers, including Biscayne Times, giving diners something to chat about. Sandwiches and salads can also be do-it-yourself projects, with an unusually wide choice of main ingredients, garnishes, breads, and condiments for the creatively minded. $

The District190 NE 46th St.305-573-4199At the house whose original restaurant tenant was One Ninety, décor has been renovated dramatically from shabby to chic, and the pan-American gastropub cuisine also matches a more mature Miami. Horacio Rivadero’s dishes reflect both Latin and American influences with considerable creative flair and fun. Favorites: lobster tacos with pickled cabbage, aji Amarillo escabeche, and crisped shallots; luscious lamb tartare, featuring toasted pignolias and mustard oil; and the Black Magic mousse, with vanilla/sweet potato drizzles, housemade marshmallows, and a pistachio cookie. $$$-$$$$

Dogma Grill7030 Biscayne Blvd.305-759-3433Since opening, this hot dog-PLUS (capital letters intended) joint has had several owners and menu changes. Currently it’s in a “Best of” phase. Main draw remains 100% beef dogs with numerous regionally inspired topping combos (our favorite: the elaborate, authentic Chicago), but vegetarians can again enjoy the original menu’s veggie franks, absent for several years, topped identically. More recent adds worth sampling are regional specialty sandwiches, like New Orleans shrimp po’boys. And though there’s no indoor seating, current owner Diego Villamedi has expanded the outdoor area and spruced up its landscaping for better insulation from Boulevard traffic, making picnicking more pleasant. $

El Bajareque278 NW 36th St.305-576-5170Dozens of little Latin American eateries, all looking almost identically iffy, line 36th Street. But this family-owned “bajareque” (shack) is one where you definitely want to stop for some of Miami’s most tasty, and inexpensive, Puerto Rican home cooking, from mondongo (an allegedly hangover-curing soup) to mofongo, a plantain/chicharron mash with varied toppings plus garlicky mojo. Housemade snacks are irresistible, too, and great take-out party fare: pork-studded pasteles, similar to Cuban tamals but with a tuber rather than corn masa dough, or empanadas with savory shrimp stuffing. $

The Embassy4600 NE 2nd Ave.305-571-8446Don’t come to this embassy for passports. The name is short for “Embassy of Well-being and Debauchery.” You will, however, feel transported to Spain’s gourmet capital, San Sebastian, after sampling ambassador Alan Hughes’s cunning pintxos (complexly layered Basque-style tapas). From a self-serve bar, choose from a changing selection of skewered stacks; brie, homemade fig jam, and twizzles of silky jamon Serrano; roast tomato, goat cheese, and anchovies on buttery garlic toast; many more. Small plates, to-die-for desserts like floating island with lychees, and weekend brunch items demonstrate similar mad-chef skills. $$-$$$

Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop186 NE 29th St.305-573-4681This Cuban breakfast/lunch old-timer actually serves more than sandwiches (including mammoth daily specials )-- and since reopening after a fire, does so in a cleanly renovated interior. But many hardcore fans never get past the parking lot’s ordering window, and outdoors really is the best place to manage Enriqueta’s mojo-marinated messy masterpiece: pan con bistec, dripping with sautéed onions, melted cheese, and potato sticks; tomatoes make the fats and calories negligible. Accompany with fresh orange juice or café con leche, and you’ll never want anything else, except maybe a bib. $

Five Guys Famous Burger and Fries Shops at Midtown Miami Buena Vista Avenue 305-571-8341 www.fiveguys.com No green-leaf faux health food here. You get what the name says, period, with three adds: kosher dogs, veggie burgers, and free peanuts while you wait. Which you will, just a bit, since burgers are made fresh upon order. Available in double or one-patty sizes, they’re well-done but spurtingly juicy, and after loading with your choice of free garnishes, even a “little” burger makes a major meal. Fries (regular or Cajun-spiced) are also superior, hand-cut in-house from sourced potatoes. $

Hurricane Grill & WingsShops at Midtown Miami Buena Vista Avenue 305-576-7133 Shops at Midtown Miami Buena Vista Avenue, 305-576-7133 This Florida fast/casual chain became an instant hit in Midtown Miami owing to a winning concept: more than 35 heat-coded sauces and dry rubs meant for custom-tossing with wings and other things (including white-meat "boneless wings," really wing-shaped chicken breast pieces), accompanied by ranch or classic blue-cheese dip and celery. It would be silly to not pair your main with garlic/herb-butter parmesan fries. There are many other items, too, including salads. But hey, celery is salad, right? $$

Jimmy’z Kitchen 2700 N. Miami Ave. #5, 305-573-1505 No need to trek to South Beach for what many consider Miami’s best classic Puerto Rican mofongo (fried green plantains mashed with fresh garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings, surrounded by chicken or shrimp in zesty criollo sauce). This new location is bigger and better than the original, plus the mofongo is served every day, not just on weekends. But don’t ignore the meal-size salads or high-quality sandwiches, including a pressed tripleta containing roast pork, bacon, Black Forest ham, provolone, and caramelized onions. $$

Joey’s Italian Café 2506 NW 2nd Ave. 305-438-0488 The first new restaurant in the Wynwood Café District, this stylish indoor/outdoor Italian hangout is as casually cool as one would hope -- and as affordable. There’s a five-buck half-serving of spaghetti al pomodoro and respectable vino for under $30. And few can resist delicately thin, crunchy-crusted pizzas like the creative Dolce e Piccante or orgasmic Carbonara. Pastas are fresh; produce is largely local; the mosaic-centered décor is minimalist but inviting. And no need to be wary of the warehouse district at night: Valet parking is free. $$-$$$

Lagniappe3425 NE 2nd. Ave. 305-576-0108In New Orleans, “lagniappe” means “a little extra,” like the 13th doughnut in a baker’s dozen. And that’s what you get at this combination wine and cheese bar/backyard BBQ/entertainment venue. Choose artisan cheeses and charcuterie from the fridges, hand them over when you pay (very little), and they’ll be plated with extras: olives, bread, changing luscious condiments. Or grab fish, chicken, veggies, or steak (with salad or cornbread) from the hidden yard’s grill. Relax in the comfie mismatched furniture, over extensive wine/beer choices and laidback live music. No cover, no attitude. $$

Lemoni Café 4600 NE 2nd Ave. 305-571-5080 The menu here reads like your standard sandwiches/salads/starters primer. What it doesn’t convey is the freshness of the ingredients and the care that goes into their use. Entrée-size salads range from an elegant spinach (goat cheese, pears, walnuts, raisins) to chunky homemade chicken salad on a bed of mixed greens. Sandwiches (cold baguette subs, hot pressed paninis, or wraps, all accompanied by side salads) include a respectable Cuban and a veggie wrap with a deceptively rich-tasting light salad cream. $-$$

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill Shops at Midtown Miami Buena Vista Avenue 305-576-5463 www.limefreshmexicangrill.com Like its South Beach predecessor, this Lime was an instant hit, as much for being a hip new Midtown hangout as for its carefully crafted Tex-Mex food. The concept is “fast casual” rather than fast food – meaning nice enough for a night out. It also means ingredients are always fresh. Seafood tacos are about as exotic as the menu gets, but the mahi mahi for fish tacos comes from a local supplier, and salsas are housemade daily. Niceties include low-carb tortillas and many Mexican beers. $

Limón y Sabor 3045 Biscayne Blvd. 786-431-5739 In this dramatically renovated space, the room is now light and open, and the food is authentic Peruvian, with seafood a specialty. Portions are huge, prices low, quality high. Especially good are their versions of pescado a lo macho (fish fillet topped with mixed seafood in a creamy, zesty sauce); jalea (breaded and deep-fried fish, mixed seafood, and yuca, topped with onion/pepper/lime salsa), and yuca in hot yet fruity rocoto chili cream sauce.

Lost & Found Saloon 185 NW 36th St. 305-576-1008 www.thelostandfoundsaloon-miami.com There’s an artsy/alternative feel to this casual and friendly Wynwood eatery, which, since opening as a weekday-only breakfast and lunch joint in 2005, has grown with its neighborhood. It’s now open for dinner six nights a week, serving Southwestern-style fare at rock-bottom prices. Dishes like piñon and pepita-crusted salmon, chipotle-drizzled endive stuffed with lump crab, or customizable tacos average $5-$8. Also available: big breakfasts and salads, hearty soups, housemade pastries like lemon-crusted wild berry pie, and a hip beer and wine list. $

Mike’s at Venetia 555 NE 15th St., 9th Floor 305-374-5731 www.mikesvenetia.com This family-owned Irish pub, on the pool deck of the Venetia condo, for more than 15 years has been a popular lunch and dinner hang-out for local journalists and others who appreciate honest cheap eats and drinks. Regulars know daily specials are the way to go. Depending on the day, fish, churrasco, or roast turkey with all the trimmings are all prepared fresh. Big burgers and steak dinners are always good. A limited late-night menu provides pizza, wings, ribs, and salad till 3:00 a.m. $-$$

Mmmm2519 NW 2nd Ave. 786-703-3409On the same strip as Wynwood Kitchen & Bar and Joey’s, this more casual alt-culture café is a sandwich/soup/salad spot with a difference -- chef Alan McLennan, whose mentors include Michelin 3-star chefs Michel Guerard and Fredy Giradet. The elite French training is reflected in Mmmm’s signature items: tartines, open-face sandwiches on crusty toasted sourdough indistinguishable from Paris’s famed Poilane bread, except made in Miami. Among the perfectly balanced toppings are an especially tasty tuna and artichoke with olive mayo, or daily specials like crab/avocado. Wine, too, and locally made tropical ice creams from Azucar. $$

NoVe Kitchen & Bar1750 N. Bayshore Dr. 305-503-1000At NoVe, the restolounge at the Opera Tower condo in NoVe (new nickname for the bayfront neighborhood north of the Venetian Causeway), the food is East-West. Meaning you can get burgers, pasta, and so on, or try the inventive Asian small plates and sushi specialties Hiro Terada originated at his past posts, Doraku and Moshi Moshi: the Atlantis roll (tempura conch with asparagus, avocado, scallions, and curry sauce); spicy, crunchy fried tofu atop kimchi salad; much more. Open 6:00 a.m. for breakfast to 3:00 a.m., it is kid-friendly and dog-friendly, too. $$-$$$

Orange Café + Art 2 NE 40th St. 305-571-4070 The paintings hanging in this tiny, glass-enclosed café are for sale. And for those who don’t have thousands of dollars to shell out for the local art on the walls, less than ten bucks will get you art on a plate, including a Picasso: chorizo, prosciutto, manchego cheese, baby spinach, and basil on a crusty baguette. Other artfully named and crafted edibles include salads, daily soups, several pastas (like the Matisse, fiocchi pouches filled with pears and cheese), and house-baked pastries. $

Primo’s1717 N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33132, 305-371-9055 The imposing, cavernous lobby of the Grand doesn’t have that “do drop in” locals’ hangout vibe. But this lively Italian spot is actually a great addition to the neighborhood. The pizzas alone – brick-oven specimens with toppings ranging from classic pepperoni to prosciutto/arugula – would be draw enough. But pastas also please: diners’ choice of starch, with mix-and-match sauces and extras. And the price is right, with few entrées topping $20. The capper: It’s open past midnight every day but Sunday. $$

Prohibition3404 N. Miami Ave.305-438-9191Frankly, we don’t get why this expansive, high-ceilinged space with enormous front windows and open kitchen is so often described as evocative of a Prohibition-era speakeasy; ambiance here is artfully and amusingly sinful, not secretive. Fare is a fun, familiar mix of modern comfort foods (truffled lobster mac ’n’ cheese, NY strip steak with truffled parmesan fries, many other items featuring truffle oil) and retro favorites like meatballs. It’s simple, solid stuff served in generous portions to match the menu items that best truly evoke Prohibition times: hefty, old-fashioned, two-fisted cocktails. $$$

R House2727 NW 2nd Ave.305-576-0240A strikingly stylish restaurant that’s part art gallery could be pretentious, in a still largely ungentrified area of cutting-edge artsy yet still working-class Wynwood. But modular movable walls to accommodate changing installations, and its own name make it clear the art component is a serious working gallery. Hardworking chef/owner Rocco Carulli demonstrates a locals orientation with a menu highlighted by skillfully crafted, hearty entrées (Brazilian seafood moqueta stew, coffee/chili-rubbed short ribs, sweet pea falafel) available in affordable half-portions: small plates of big food for starving artists. $$-$$$

S & S Diner1757 NE 2nd Ave.305-373-4291Some things never change, or so it seems at this classic diner. Open since 1938, people still line up on Saturday mornings, waiting for a seat at the counter and enormous breakfasts: corned beef hash or crab cakes and eggs with grits; fluffy pancakes; homemade biscuits with gravy and Georgia sausage – everything from oatmeal to eggs Benedict. The lunch menu is a roll call of the usual suspects, but most regulars ignore the menu and go for the daily blackboard specials. $-$$

Sabor a Peru2923 Biscayne Blvd.305-573-6736Opened many years before ceviches became a staple on every Miami hipster-bar menu, this formerly tiny family-run Peruvian place serves food that’s traditional, not trendy. That includes ceviches, simple and servicable. But Sabor’s strong suit -- and why it has not only survived but thrived (as a recent expansion attests) -- is its cooked dishes, always fresh, flavorful, and served in prodigious portions. Our personal fave: jalea (a delicately breaded, crisp-fried mix of tender marinated fish and shellfish, with yucca and criolla onion sauce); one order feeds at least three diners. Note: Open for big breakfasts, as well as lunch/dinner. $-$$·

Salumeria 1043451 NE 1st Ave. #104305-424-9588 In Italy, salumerias started, like American delicatessens, as shops selling salumi (cured meats), but evolved into the equivalent of eat-in deli/restaurants that also serve cold and hot prepared foods. At this modern Midtown salumeria, the soups-to-salads-to-sweets range of fare is the same. Custom-sliced imported cold cuts are a main focus, especially for those who enjoy taste-testing a plate pairing Italy’s two most famous prosciuttos: Parma and San Daniele. But homemade pastas are also impressive, as are hard-to-find regional entrées like fegato alla Veneziana, which will turn liver-haters into lovers. $$-$$$

Sakaya Kitchen Shops at Midtown Miami Buena Vista Avenue 305-576-8096 www.sakayakitchen.com This chef-driven, fast-casual Asian eatery is more an izakaya (in Japan, a pub with food) than a sakaya (sake shop). But why quibble about words with so many more intriguing things to wrap your mouth around? The concept takes on street-food favorites from all over Asia, housemade daily from quality fresh ingredients. French Culinary Institute-trained Richard Hales does change his menu, so we’d advise immediately grabbing some crispy Korean chicken wings and Chinese-inspired, open-faced roast pork buns with sweet chili sauce and homemade pickles. $$

Sake Room 275 NE 18th St. 305-755-0122 www.sakeroom.com Sake takes a back seat to sushi – and sophisticated décor – at this small but sleek restolounge. Among the seafood offerings, you won’t find exotica or local catches, but all the usual sushi/sashimi favorites, though in more interesting form, thanks to sauces that go beyond standard soy – spicy sriracha, garlic/ponzu oil, and many more. Especially recommended: the yuzu hamachi roll, the lobster tempura maki, and panko-coated spicy shrimp with hot-and-sour mayo and a salad. $$-$$$

Salsa Fiesta 2929 Biscayne Blvd. 305-400-8245 www.salsafiestagrill.com The first stateside offshoot of a popular Venezuelan mini chain, this "urban Mexican grill" serves health-conscious, made-fresh-daily fare similar in concept to some fast-casual competitors. But there are indeed differences here, notably pan-Latin options: black beans as well as red; thin, delightfully crunchy tostones (available as a side or as the base for a uniquely tasty take on normal nachos). Other pluses include weekday happy hours with two-for-one beers -- and free parking. $-$$

Shokudo World Resource Café4740 NE 2nd Ave.305-758-7782At its former Lincoln Road location, World Resource’s café was better known for people-watching than for its standard sushi/Thai menu. But as the new name signals, this relocation is a reinvention. The indoor/outdoor space is charming, but creative takes on popular pan-Asian street foods are the real draw. Travel from Japan and Thailand through Korea, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and beyond via light housemade momo, curried potato-stuffed Tibetan/Nepalese steamed dumplings; savory pulled pork buns with kimchi and crisped onions. Noodle dishes, hot or chilled, are especially appealing. $$-$$$

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill 3250 NE 1st Ave. 786-369-0353 www.sugarcanerawbargrill.com This chic indoor/outdoor space is an offspring of Lincoln Road’s SushiSamba Dromo and a sibling of Sugarcane lounges in NYC and Las Vegas, but more informal than the former and more food-oriented than the latter, as three kitchens -- normal, raw bar, and robata charcoal grill -- make clear. Chef Timon Balloo’s LatAsian small plates range from subtle orange/fennel-marinated salmon crudo to intensely smoky-rich short ribs. At the daily happy hour, select dishes (like steamed pork buns with apple kimchi) are discounted. $$-$$$

SuViche2751 N. Miami Ave. 305-960-7097As its fusion name suggests, this artsy indoor/outdoor eatery doesn’t merely serve a mix of Japanese sushi and Latin ceviches but a true fusion of both, largely owing to signature sauces (many based on Peru’s citusy/creamy acevichado emulsion with Japanese spicing) that are applied to sushi rolls and ceviche bowls alike. Additionally there are some popular Peruvian-fusion cooked dishes like Chifa (Peruvian-Chinese) lomo saltado, served traditionally, as an entrée, or creatively in springs rolls). To add to the fun, accompany your meal with a cocktail from Miami’s only pisco bar. $$-$$$

3 Chefs Chinese Restaurant1800 Biscayne Blvd. #105305-373-2688Until this eatery opened in late 2010, the solid Chinese restaurants in this neighborhood could be counted on the·fingers of no hands. So it’s not surprising that most people·concentrate on Chinese and Chinese/American fare.·The real surprise is the remarkably tasty, budget-priced,·Vietnamese fare. Try pho, 12 varieties of full-flavored·beef/rice noodle soup (including our favorite, with welldone·flank steak and flash-cooked eye round). All can be·customized with sprouts and fresh herbs. Also impressive:·Noodle combination plates with sautéed meats, salad,·and spring rolls. $$

Tony Chan’s Water Club 1717 N. Bayshore Dr. 305-374-8888 The décor at this upscale place, located in the Grand, looks too glitzy to serve anything but politely Americanized Chinese food. But the American dumbing-down is minimal. Many dishes are far more authentic and skillfully prepared than those found elsewhere in Miami, like delicate but flavorful yu pan quail. Moist sea bass fillet has a beautifully balanced topping of scallion, ginger, cilantro, and subtly sweet/salty sauce. And Peking duck is served as three traditional courses: crêpe-wrapped crispy skin, meat sautéed with crisp veggies, savory soup to finish. $$-$$$

Wine Vault MiamiShops at Midtown MiamiFountain Circle #105786-691-2000From a Wine Vault press release: “Over 1300 square feet of pure decadence.” In fact, the soaring, two-story space, complete with glass elevator, has a look that lives up to the hype. But the most decadent thing inside is a nibble from its tapas list: chocolate-covered bacon. Go ahead and make a meal of it. We grown-ups can eat what we want. More substantial plates to accompany the roughly four dozen wines, artisan beers, or cocktails include chorizo with new potatoes, and sweetly piquant piquillo peppers stuffed with shredded tuna. Happy-hour wine prices are so low we’d better not mention them. $$-$$$